This thesis Master Programme in Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning with specialization in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management has a time-glass research perspective towards a participatory policy-making. The intervention foreseen with the energy planning approach tested in this thesis is at the municipal level. Sintra municipality has set energy policies to implement renewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency. In 2016 the municipality became a Covenant of Mayors signatory. Municipal energy plans (SEAP) established as crucial for the conceptualization and implementation of the energy policies due stakeholders engagement. In fact, the municipality is lacking methods/approaches to be able to achieve this objective. From this point, the research become ampler to understand how Portuguese energy policies and planning approaches influenced the municipal level. Then the research gain again focuses towards the municipal level understanding the cause of problems regarding energy governance structures. Finally, is tested an energy planning approach that try to implement in current institutionalization policy-making a long term-vision and problem structuration regarding actual energy system, due stakeholders engagement in a group of schools in Sintra municipality.